Find him attractive

Pretending he didn’t exist, I undressed quickly , turned away and headed for the showers.

My own smell finally hit me instantly  and it made my nose wrinkle. I stepped behind the curtain and twisted the knob, turning the water hot instead of cold for once.

I needed it.

The heat poured down over my shoulders, sinking deep into aching muscles, loosening knots that felt carved into my body. I stayed there longer than usual, letting the water beat against me until the tension dulled and my wild thoughts slowed.

When I finally felt relaxed , I shut the water off, wrapped a towel around my waist and made my way back to my locker. I pulled on basketball shorts, a loose T-shirt, and slipped my feet into my tennis shoes. Then I sat down, elbows resting on my knees, staring at the floor.

It had to be around nine by now and my mom was probably worried about me.

Fatigue settled over me and my eyelids drooped despite my best efforts. I hoped I wouldn’t nod off on the drive home, though that was unlikely. Adrenaline had a way of keeping me awake just enough.

“Hey…Liam?”

I inhaled sharply, pulled out of my half-daze, and looked back toward the showers.

Hudson stood there, the curtain pulled partway closed, most of him hidden except his head. Water still dripped from his hair and traced slow lines down his face. There was something hesitant in his expression, almost awkward.

“Could you hand me my towel?”, He asked.

I stared at him for half a second, then rolled my eyes. Standing with a small grunt, I grabbed the white towel lying beside his gym bag and flung it toward him with more force than necessary.

He caught it easily and disappeared back behind the curtain.

Idiot.

Who leaves their towel out of reach like that?

I shook my head, already turning back to my things but before I could touch them, he stepped out

The towel was slung low around his hips, barely secured, his skin still damp from the shower. My gaze dropped before I could stop it, skimming over the lines of his shoulders, the definition in his arms, the solid shape of him.

And I froze when I took in the shape of his monster dick evidently showing in the towel.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen bodies before. Football made sure of that. We shared locker rooms, shared showers, nothing new but this was different.

I was alone with him. And he was the last person on earth I should’ve been looking at.

Sleep deprivation, that’s all it was. That had to be it because I was going to make a mistake, make my enemy know that I was into boys. I cleared my throat roughly and turned my head away, heat creeping up my neck and into my ears. The reaction annoyed me almost as much as it scared me.

I glanced back once just to check his face expressions . Relief washed through me when I saw his back turned, his attention elsewhere. No raised eyebrow. No smirk. No questions.

Because if he had noticed… I didn’t know how I would’ve explained it. I didn’t even understand it myself. Still, my eyes lingered for half a second too long on the muscles in his back, the warm tone of his skin.

I made a face at myself, grabbed my bag, and bolted for the exit like my life depended on it. No way was I staying long enough to keep staring at Hudson Capaldi like that.

I wasn’t losing my mind. I just needed to get out. So I walked out, heart pounding, determined to put distance between me and everything I didn’t want to think about.

“Liam.”

I heard my name echo from across the hall and turned instinctively toward the sound.

Rose.

She was smiling like she always did even when I  ignored her. Her presence prickled at my nerves immediately. Not because she’d done anything wrong. She never did. But because being around her meant slipping back into the role I’d perfected over the years.

I forced  a smile on my face anyway.

She approached me with confidence, and before I could step back, she leaned in and pecked my lips, quick and soft. Her cheeks flushed pink immediately afterward, like she surprised herself every time she did it.

“Hey,” I said simply. That was all it took and she practically melted. “So the big game’s tomorrow?” she asked, falling into step beside me as we walked down the hallway.

 “Yeah.”I nodded.

“And you know who’s gonna win?” I asked confidently, tilting my head down to meet her gaze. She smirked, shrugging. “I don’t know. The Roundsville Rioters are pretty good, I hear.”

Her tone was playful, teasing, eyes sparkling with delight at poking the bear. I chuckled despite myself and wrapped my arms around her petite frame in retaliation. My fingers dug into her sides, tickling mercilessly.

Her laughter burst out of her, loud and unrestrained, echoing down the hall. It tugged a real smile out of me, one I didn’t have to fake. Her laugh was infectious, warm and genuine.

A few students slowed to stare. Rose didn’t care. Neither did I , at least, not outwardly. This was part of the act.  The proof that Liam was normal. That Liam liked girls. That there was nothing to question.

I didn’t like her the way she liked me but I liked what she represented.

“Are you sure about that?” I teased, fingers still dancing against her thin shirt, dodging her half-hearted attempts to swat me away. “N...no! St..stop!” she laughed breathlessly. “The Bu..lls! You guys..the bulls are gonna win!”

“Exactly.” I finally let her go, grinning. 

“Excuse me.” The voice cut through the moment coldly. Rose turned first and I followed.

Hudson.

Of course it was Hudson.

Didn’t I leave him in the locker room? Why was he everywhere I go?

His square jaw was taut as he pointedly looked between Rose and I. "What? Can't handle a little happiness, Hudson?", I asked.

"Fuck off", He snapped. "Can’t you see that you in the way." He added annoyed. "Oh! Sorry!" Rose exclaimed, hopping away from the exist way  as if she was in trouble and locked her eyes into an accusing glare on me. I gave her the 'what?' look to piss her off.

"Let's get out of here", Mood ruined, I snapped at her